Former Lake Zurich trustee appointed to open position

Jonathan Sprawka is sworn in

Newly appointed Lake Zurich Trustee Jonathan Sprawka said keeping the village headed in the right direction with its downtown redevelopment efforts will be his top priority.

Sprawka, 32, who served in the same role from 2009 until earlier this year, was appointed to the seat that was vacated when Trustee Tom Poynton was elected mayor in April. Board members unanimously approved the choice at Monday night's meeting. Sprawka will serve out the remaining two years left on Poynton's original term.

Elected in 2009, Sprawka said he opted against running for reelection in April because the leadership at the time discouraged him, and he was disenchanted with contention among the board's ranks. But now, he said, he feels the board has a more collaborative spirit, and he wanted to be a part of that.

"It's almost like a new board has turned over," he said. "There's a lot of energy that we all came into this with in 2009, and hopefully it's renewed."

Sprawka, a Lake Zurich resident for almost 10 years, was chosen over five other eligible candidates who applied for the job, according to Poynton. With three new faces on the board, Poynton said Sprawka's experience was an important factor leading to his appointment.

"Right now, the board needs somebody who is deeply involved, or at least has a deep knowledge of the issues," Poynton said. "I think he was one of those guys who immersed himself in his job as trustee."

Poynton said he informed trustees of his decision prior to the announcement, giving the chance to raise any issues. He said no one came to him with any concerns.

Trustee Dana Rzeznik is the only other board member to have been appointed. She was chosen by former President Suzanne Branding in 2009 before winning the 2011 election.

Sprawka's experience will make for an easy transition, Rzeznik said, and she supported the nomination.

"The whole board's visions are pretty much aligned," she said. "We all recognize that getting some action in the downtown is very important, and we're all fiscally responsible people. We want a balanced budget."

Sprawka said that, during his previous tenure, he helped develop a more organized budget process.

"We made a lot of progress," he said. "Not as much as we had hoped, but that's why I'm back."

He said downtown redevelopment was at the top of his priority list. The board in April gave developer John Breugelmans 75 days to present his plan to build a mixed-use commercial and residential building near Old Rand Road and Main Street, a plan that has since been submitted and is being reviewed.

With a development proposal for a key piece of land in the downtown under review by staff, Sprawka said he was eager to review the plan.

"This is the furthest we've gone with any of the developers in relation to having a formal submission brought before the board, so I'm hopeful that we'll have a viable opportunity," Sprawka said.